Catholic girls' secondary school in Obalende, founded 1945 by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus. Nigerian curriculum. Long academic tradition; alumni include senior civil servants, judges, and academics. Day-only.
Fee breakdown
Tuition range
₦120.0K–300.0K
/yr · 2025/2026
Estimated first-year total
₦300.0K
tuition + extras
L
Lagos.Cool Editorial
2 May 2026 · 2 min read
About this school — Holy Child College Obalende
Holy Child College Obalende, founded in 1945 by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, is the Catholic girls' answer to St Gregory's and one of the historically important Catholic girls' schools in Lagos. The Obalende campus is compact and academic-focused. Alumnae include senior civil servants, judges, and academics — the "Holy Child girl" is a specific Lagos identity marked by academic seriousness and Catholic-ethos discipline. Day-only. Fees remain moderate for a school of its historical stature.
The Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus arrived in Lagos in the 1930s and established girls' schools across Nigeria as part of the wider Catholic education mission. Holy Child College Obalende was founded in 1945 as one of the flagship girls' secondaries. The order's distinctive academic ethos — rigorous mathematics and sciences alongside serious Catholic religious formation — has produced generations of Nigerian professional women including senior civil servants, high court judges, medical professionals, and academic leaders. The Obalende campus is compact but has been continuously used since 1945 with only modest expansion. What Holy Child provides that distinguishes it from Queen's College (federal, boarding-heavy, larger) is the smaller cohort size (~350 pupils) and the Catholic academic ethos — a specific combination that many families explicitly seek.
Strengths & trade-offs
✓ Strengths
✓Founded 1945 by Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus
✓Catholic girls mission tradition
✓Distinguished alumnae network
✓85-95% WAEC credit-pass
✓Central Obalende location
✓Long academic tradition
✗ Trade-offs
✗Catholic ethos non-negotiable
✗Day-only
✗Girls-only
✗Compact 2-acre Obalende campus
✗No IGCSE
✗Application fee ₦15,000
Facilities & campus
●2-acre Obalende campus
●Two academic blocks
●Three science laboratories
●Chapel
●Assembly hall
●Library
●Art room
●Small netball court
Curriculum & exam pathway
Accreditations
• Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria
• WAEC
• Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus
University destinations
UNILAGLASUCovenantBabcockNigerian State universitiesManchesterWarwickTorontoCanadian universities
Admission process
JS1 entry via school entrance examination in April and August. Application fee ₦15,000. Catholic families and siblings of current or former pupils receive priority. Common Entrance results supplementary. SS1 transfer entry available in limited numbers.
JS1 entrance examination held twice yearly (April and August) covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Bible Knowledge at end-of-primary level. Application fee ₦15,000 covers the assessment plus documentation. Catholic family priority is significant and documented. Sibling and current/former pupil children priority applies. Common Entrance results considered supplementarily. SS1 transfer entry available for pupils with strong JS3 results, subject to space in the target year group. The Principal or a designated senior Sister interviews all shortlisted candidates. Parent interviews are conducted separately to confirm alignment with the Catholic ethos before offer letters are issued.
Tuition is only part of the bill. Here's what families actually pay:
Uniform + sports₦40,000–₦70,000
Books + WAEC entries₦40,000–₦120,000/yr
Lunch₦100,000–₦180,000/yr
PTA + development levy₦20,000–₦40,000/yr
Campus & facilities
The Obalende campus is compact — approximately 2 acres in the Lagos Island residential district. Facilities include two academic blocks, three science laboratories, a chapel, an assembly hall, a library, an art room, and a small netball court. Day-only. Given the site constraint, sports activities involve off-site excursions to partner facilities.
The compact 2-acre Obalende campus was originally established in 1945 on land granted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos. The chapel — rebuilt 1968 — remains the school's spiritual heart and hosts daily Mass, Sunday services, and school events. Facilities include two academic blocks (junior and senior secondary), three science laboratories (physics, chemistry, biology in dedicated rooms), the chapel, an assembly hall (~200-seat), a library, an art room, a small netball court, and a computer laboratory. Given the site constraint, sports activities involve off-site excursions to partner facilities in Ikoyi. Power on Eko Electric grid + 60KVA generator + inverter. Water from LSWC pipe with onsite borehole backup. Day-only.
Catholic girls receive admissions priority but the school admits non-Catholic pupils. Non-Catholic girls attend morning Catholic prayers and Christian Religious Studies but are not required to receive Catholic sacraments.
Both are Lagos girls' schools with strong academic traditions. Queen's College is federal, boarding-heavy, Yaba-based, larger (~600 pupils). Holy Child is Catholic mission, day-only, Obalende-based, smaller (~350 pupils). Both feed similar university destinations.
85-95% credit-pass typical in core subjects. Sciences and mathematics traditionally strong. The school produces WAEC national subject prizes routinely.
Yes — Obalende is a safe residential district and the school maintains standard secondary-school security. Most pupils are picked up by parents or family drivers rather than travelling independently. School buses cover Ikoyi, VI, and Lagos Island routes.
Moderately selective. The academic entrance examination filters for aptitude; Catholic priority further tightens the pool. Typical intake: 60-80 girls annually against 250+ applicants.